


The Song Remains the Same

by xo_stardust720



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 1940s Steve Rogers, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, I don't even really know if there's a plot to this story, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Skinny!Steve, also slightly smutty, lots of fluff, oh well, romanogers - Freeform, still pretty fluffy romanogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-11-10
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:37:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7614769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xo_stardust720/pseuds/xo_stardust720
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything was different and unfamiliar. </p><p>Natasha swallowed as realization dawned on her. <i>Shit, shit, shit. </i></p><p>Somehow, she’d been sent to the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was rereading [the act itself will be louder than the word](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6890581/chapters/15719794) by [rickrollerblades](http://archiveofourown.org/users/rickrollerblades/pseuds/rickrollerblades) when this little plot bunny happened and I was inspired to write a new story. If you guys haven't checked out "the act itself", go do it. Seriously, you won't be disappointed! 
> 
> Usually I like to finish one story before starting another, but this couldn't be helped :)

Loki was up to his old tricks again.

Honestly, it was starting to become predictable. Once again, another chitauri invasion was upon them. And once again, the Avengers were dispatched and were currently battling the shape shifting aliens attempting to conquer Earth. This time Loki was after one of the Infinity Stones that had been hidden here on Earth eons and eons ago (seriously, whatever celestial being deciding to hide something that powerful at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean was completely _stupid)_ and New York was once again, under attack.

It was such a shame. She’d had plans… such nice plans. _Glorious plans._ She and Steve hadn’t had any time alone together as of late, what with them being on separate missions, one after another. There had been plans for a nice dinner, at least a couple of hours of cuddle time on the couch while a movie played in the background, and then _playtime_ (if you catch her drift) fun to be had… so therefore, she had been definitely less than pleased when Fury had shown up to assemble the Avengers. And once she learned that Loki was behind everything? Well, someone was going to feel her wrath.

Natasha took a running leap and managed to land on a couple of unsuspecting chitauri and with a powerful twist to her hips, managed to bring them down to the ground with her legs while shooting at another group to her left. She straightened, and just when one of the aliens managed to get the surprise drop on her, Captain America’s shield came flying out of nowhere and spliced it in half. In turn, she flipped backwards grabbing the shield and spun it away from her as hard as she could, taking out three more chitauri that were surrounding Steve as he came bounding towards her.

Steve gave her an appraising look as he stopped next to her, a roguish grin gracing his lips from beneath the cowl that he wore. She was currently sweaty, dirt and grime covered her from head to toe and still, his eyes roamed over her catsuit appreciatively. “You know, I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but seeing you handle my shield the way you do, it’s very, very sexy,” he licked his lips. “I like it.” His voice was heavy with suggestion.

Despite what was going on around them, Natasha felt a thrill go through her at hearing his voice drop low and husky. She shot him a grin, all the while raising her gun and aiming at the chitauri and dropping her targets with ease. “I happen to love _handling_ it. Anytime, anywhere soldier.”  Okay, so maybe her voice was also heavy with suggestion. She'd had some glorious plans after all, damnit!

Steve sent a flying kick. “We should go out after this,” he continued the conversation, yelling amidst the explosions and heavy arm fire surrounding them. “We haven’t gone out on a date in a while. Burgers?”  

“Sure, sounds good to me.” Natasha ducked. She sent him a look that was positively _dirty_ in the best way possible. “And if you’re a good boy, I might be handling _something else_ tonight.”

He smirked. “I’m _always_ a good boy.”

“Are you guys seriously flirting right now?” Clint’s voice came through on their comms. “Do you guys realize we can hear every word you’re saying?”

“Yeah,” Tony chimed in. Above them, Iron Man paused mid-air to blast away some chitauri that were currently climbing the buildings near them. “You guys are being gross.”

She could hear Steve laughing through the comms a few feet away from her. “Don’t be jealous Stark,” she quipped. “You’d be doing the same if Pepper were right next to you.”

“That, I cannot deny,” Iron Man flew over them. “Alright, I can get on board with this. Have at it lovebirds!”

“Aw, don’t encourage them, Tony!” Clint complained. Arrows shot through the air and more of the chitauri henchmen fell over.

There was a loud explosion, and Natasha looked over to see Thor spinning his hammer and bolts of lightning sparking down from dark clouds in the sky and aiming at the flying chariot-like vehicle that Loki was currently atop of. The lightning bolts hit their intended target and from a distance, she could see Loki drop a small container, which then the Hulk jumping out from the masses promptly grabbed, and within minutes the battle was over. With Loki captured, the chitauri were overpowered and fell to the ground, dead.

It was later, when Natasha had finished getting ready for a night out with Steve, that she entered the shared common room on the Avengers’ floor to see Steve and Tony arguing. It wasn’t unusual to see the two of them arguing, of course. In fact, she would’ve been more worried if she had found the two of them agreeing on something. “What’s going on?” she asked, taking a seat next to Clint, who was just lounging on the couch and munching on some popcorn. Bruce sat across from them, watching the argument unfold.

“Thor’s taken Loki back to Asgard,” he replied. “He’ll be coming back for the Infinity Stone that we recovered, but before Thor takes it back to Asgard with him, Tony wants to examine it for ‘scientific’ purposes.”  

Natasha raised an eyebrow. “Why would he want to do that?”

“Cause it’s Stark,” Clint shrugged, like that explained everything.

“He can’t help himself,” Bruce added. “Curiosity gets the best of him sometimes.”

Clint snorted. “I think that’s putting it lightly.”

“You have no idea what you’re dealing with!” Steve’s voice rose even louder, making everyone in the room stare. “Can’t you see that?”  

“How _else_ are we going to find out, Cap? What if something happens and we’re not equipped to deal with it? I mean, Loki was after it for a reason.”

“We’re already not equipped to deal with it! It’s clearly dangerous, and doesn’t belong here. We should just wait for Thor to come back from Asgard and let him handle it.”

“Oh, give me a break,” Tony turned and grabbed the container that was encasing the orange rock. He twisted the lid. “Are you telling me you’re not the least bit curious as to what it does?”

“TONY! Put that thing down!”

It was too late. Tony popped off the lid and grabbed the stone that was inside, pulling it out onto the palm of his hand. He held it up and shook it in front of his face. The three Avengers that were seated leapt to their feet, waiting for something, anything to happen. The tension in the room was palpable as everyone stared at the stone. Natasha eyed the thing suspiciously and crept closer to Steve, ready to react if necessary.

Nothing happened.

“Huh,” Tony mused, lowering the stone from his face. “Maybe it needs some sort of power source to work.”

“Tony,” the level of frustration in Steve’s voice was apparent. “Put that thing back it’s container. _Now_.”

“Fine, fine,” the genius grumbled, obviously disappointed. He moved to put the orange rock back in its container, when it began to glow. Tony’s eyes widened. “Oh shit.”

Several things began to happen all at once. The stone floated from Tony’s hand, suspended in midair for a moment before it began to pulsate and then a seismic wave of orange energy exploded from it. Clint and Bruce moved to take cover behind the couch, while Tony ducked. Natasha, quick with her reflexes, grabbed Steve’s arm and pulled him out of the way and behind her. A bright light overtook the room and everyone covered their eyes.

It was over in moments.

Clint peeked out from behind the couch. “Everyone okay?”

Everyone gave affirmative answers, but then-

“Nat?” Steve cried, looking around the room frantically. “Natasha? _Natasha_!”

She was gone, nowhere to be seen.

 

\---------

 

Natasha stumbled and landed on a busy sidewalk, disorientated. For a moment, she stayed rooted on the ground, blinking as she took in her surroundings. She was in New York, but it wasn’t the New York that she knew. The Avengers’ building was gone. Gone were the fancy coffee shops and the brilliant bright lights of Times Square that she’d been accustomed to seeing in downtown Manhattan, instead the streets were replaced with old time looking signs and buildings. But the thing was, the signs didn’t look old… in fact, they looked new.

_What the fuck?_

Everything was different and unfamiliar.

The air was distinct, it smelled cleaner somehow. The hustle and bustle of New York City was somewhat the same but it was what the people were wearing that caught her attention the most. Most of the men were wearing white dress shirts and trousers with suspenders attached to them.  There were some men dressed in business suits and wearing trench coats, children running around wearing _ruffles_ and little girls wearing Mary Jane shoes… the women walking by were all wearing dresses that were nipped at the waist, and a-line skirts that came down to their knees… to her, it all looked old-fashioned but it was _she_ that was getting strange looks from everyone around her, as if _she_ was the one that didn’t belong.

Natasha swallowed as realization dawned on her. _Shit, shit, shit._

Somehow, she’d been sent to the past.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Natasha discovers she's in New York 1941.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this story seems to have taken over my life at the moment. I had three pages of this chapter written out, didn't like where it was going, deleted it, and started over. And then a stony shipper started spaming this fic with so much hate that I was forced to enable comment moderation on all of my fics. 
> 
> The one great thing about being trolled, is the fact that the Romanogers fandom reached out and brought me into their protective cocoon and gave me _so much overwhelming support_. Seriously, I feel like I've made so many new friends this past weekend and it gives me so much joy to be able to interact with so many  AMAZING authors and artists. It really feels like I've hit the jackpot. So, the joke is on you Stony bully. Thanks to your trolling, I got to make so many new friends, and in turn they all gave me so much inspiration to continue this story. AND I also got so many new ideas for future Romanogers fics. Heh. Let's see you try and bring me down now :)
> 
> Also: I hope everyone can tell when I'm talking about present Steve and past Steve, because as I was writing this, I was confusing myself... 
> 
> \--

_Fucking Stark, and his need to meddle in everything!_

Natasha was mentally cursing Tony as she took in the sights around her. There were old-fashioned cars driving down the street in front of her, people were wearing hats and suspenders, women’s hair were curled and pinned, and there was even a paper boy standing on the corner yelling, “Extra, extra! Read all about it!” as he tried his best to sell newspapers. She was still sitting on the sidewalk, watching as people passed by her and giving her strange looks. Natasha could barely believe it. She was in the past. She was actually in the past somewhere.

_Well, at least we figured out what that stupid rock does._

Natasha grumbled as she hoisted herself up, her instincts kicking into gear about how to best handle her situation. Evidently, the orange stone that Loki had been after allowed for _time travel_. Loki was most likely going to use the stone for changing past events, she guessed. Huh. She’d have to be careful about how to best proceed from here on out lest she changed the timeline. That was a problem that she didn’t need to add to her list of growing complications.

She checked her pockets. Unfortunately, she’d left her purse sitting on the couch at the Avengers Tower, but of all the small miracles, she had a little bit of cash with her. Enough to probably get by for the day but at some point she was going to have to figure out how to get more. First things first, she needed to blend in. She was already drawing too much attention in her denim skirt, high-knee boots, and red tank top. Too many people were staring at her as they passed by, and it was starting to make her skin crawl.

“Well, _hello_ there darlin’, what’s a girl like you doin’ all alone out here?”

Natasha turned, as every hair on the back of her neck raised. A man stood there, a cigar smoking from his lips as he leered at her, his eyes roaming over her appreciatively in all the wrong ways. She kept her face passive and fought the urge to shudder. He was a big, burly man and obviously made of money judging from his attitude, the way he was dressed, and the way he talked.  There was no question as to what he wanted from her. He practically radiated an aura of ‘ _I get what I want, when I want it_.’ Completely full of himself, he was.

“Haven’t seen the likes of you around here before,” the man continued. “You comin’ from the brothel, sweet cheeks?”

She fought the urge to vomit.

_Wonderful. He thinks I’m a prostitute. Can this day get any worse?_

Her green eyes narrowed. _Looks like I just found a way to support myself for the time being._ She smiled her Black Widow smile, the one that lured all unsuspecting men into her trap. “You think you can handle me, tiger?” she purred, shifting just a tad so that his eyes fell onto her breasts. He fell for it left, right, and center. _Men,_ she inwardly rolled her eyes. _So damn easy sometimes._

The man licked his lips. “I could show you a good time, darlin’.”

She followed as he led her to an alleyway, her heels clicking against the ground with every step she took. The moment they were alone and out of view from prying eyes, Natasha attacked. Knowing exactly where to land a hit that was the most effective, the man immediately fell unconscious and she resisted the urge to kick him in the balls as she bent over and searched his pockets. _Bingo!_ She found the man’s wallet, and grinned with delight when she saw that it was stuffed full of cash. She grabbed the money and made sure it was tucked securely before throwing the man’s wallet on the ground, and hurried out of the alley. She stuck to the side, walking at a steady pace but one that was unhurried so that she didn’t draw more attention to herself than was necessary.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she turned the corner and saw that she was near the entrance to Central Park. Perfect. Central Park was huge and was easy to get lost in. And it would be a bit more difficult to find her if the man happened to wake up earlier than she anticipated. She had hit him hard enough that he should be out for at least a couple of hours, but one could never be too cautious. The moment she hit the entrance, she broke into a jog.

Years of practice allowed her to run in high heels with ease but still, out of habit she couldn’t help but glance behind her to check if anyone was on her tail. It was empty, no one was following her. She turned forward and continued running, turning left, and then right and turning left again, taking random pathways without a second thought. When she was sure she had put enough distance between her and where she landed, she slowed to a walk.

Despite her situation, Natasha wasn’t too worried about finding a way back to the present. She had every bit of confidence in her fellow Avengers, that they would be looking for her, that they would figure out where she was and would be looking for a way to bring her back.  She only had to survive until then, and she was good at surviving. She was an Avenger after all; she’d been in worse situations than this. She was safe for the moment.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she let out a surprised cry when she collided with someone _hard_ , tripping ungracefully over her own feet and sending the both of them to the ground. 

“Ma’am, are you alright? Oh, you’re bleeding. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!”

Well, she definitely recognized that voice.

Natasha blinked, staring in shock at the man in front of her and fought the urge to yell out _‘Steve!’_ because while it was Steve that was in front of her, it wasn’t _her Steve._ No, this was Steve in all his pre-serum glory, with his floppy blonde hair falling over his blue eyes that were looking down at her in concern. He was also looking at her like he didn’t know her, like he’d just bumped into a stranger by accident. And suddenly, Natasha knew where she was. Apparently, that stupid orange rock had sent her to the 1940s, to before the war. To before Steve taking the serum and becoming Captain America. Happiness filled her at seeing a familiar face. Even though it wasn’t her boyfriend, it was still someone that she knew. She wasn’t alone here.

“Ma’am?” Steve was staring at her strangely now, as if he was unsure of what to do. “Are you okay?”

She returned to herself. “Oh!” she nodded. “Yes. Yes, I’m okay. Thanks.”

He was still giving her weird looks. “You’re bleeding, ma’am.”

“Oh,” she said again. She looked down at her left palm, scraped from where she had braced herself as she landed on the ground. He was right as she was bleeding quite a bit. It was an insignificant injury considering what she did in her line of work, it didn’t even hurt. “Uh…”

“Here.” Steve reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a white handkerchief. He knelt down beside her and started blushing furiously as he reached for her hand. He worked quickly, wrapping it around her palm and applying pressure to help the bleeding stop. Automatically, her fingers enveloped around his and he blushed even further. Once he was sure that she had a grip on the handkerchief, he let go.

Natasha bit her lip in disappointment. It was probably for the best. She couldn’t go around acting so familiar with him. As far as he knew, he wasn’t her boyfriend yet. “Thank you.” 

“It’s no big deal. Um,” he cleared his throat. She could see that Steve was trying to make an effort not to stare too much at her, but she still caught his eyes going straight to her knee-high boots. “Are you lost…?”

_Great. My boyfriend also thinks I’m a hooker._

The way Steve was looking at her was completely different from the way the lecherous man from earlier looked at her. Steve was avoiding her eyes, but at the same time was also respectful of her and of her personal space. Natasha knew that the way she was dressed wasn’t appropriate for the time period she was in. He tried to avoid it, but his eyes kept returning to her boots and looking at them with fascination, as if he hadn’t ever seen the likes of them before. He probably hadn’t. In fact, it was probably for the best that she kept being mistaken for a prostitute at the moment because no one thought twice about someone who wasn’t fit for society. It was actually a great cover story.

“Well, uh…I ran away,” Natasha muttered, trying to play up the ‘ _help, I’m a helpless woman, save me_ ’ vibe. Steve, who had no reason to distrust her or not believe her story, immediately nodded in understanding. After all, she was dressed provocatively (to this society’s standards) and she had random bruises that were slowly starting to form from the Avengers’ fight earlier. It wasn’t such a stretch, she supposed. “Um, I… I have some money, so if you could help me get some proper clothes…?” she trailed off, trying to make her voice sound meek but hating every second of it. God, this day just _sucked_.

Steve looked at her with kind eyes, and Natasha sucked in a breath. He didn’t know it, but it was the same look that _her Steve_ always gave her. It was the look that said everything was going to be alright, and to not worry, he knew what to do and he was going to take care of her. It was in that moment, she missed Steve more than anyone or anything she’d ever missed in her life. She’d been in the past for what, two or three hours, tops? And already she missed her life, and more specifically the people that were in her life. Steve. Clint. Even Tony.

Huh.

She was going soft.

 “I can help you get some clothes,” Steve confirmed as he stood up and reached out a hand to her. He helped her up and then shrugged off his trench coat, handing it to her. Natasha gave him a surprised look at his thoughtfulness, although really, when she thought about it, it didn’t really surprise her at all. This was just Steve being Steve. She took the coat and donned it, appreciating the fact that it covered up a lot of her skin and modern day clothes. She gave him a grateful look, to which Steve just smiled. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get something to eat first though. I’m getting pretty hungry,” he gave her a side glance. “Have you eaten yet?”

Well, now that he mentioned it. She was _starving_. She shook her head. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” she quietly admitted.

“Okay,” Steve nodded. “Food first, and then clothes.”

 Around them, Steve’s bag had spilled out the contents that it held and she could see a couple charcoal pencils lying on the ground and broken in pieces. She stared horrified as he bent over and began to pick them up. She quickly knelt to the ground to help him. Back when their relationship was just beginning to blossom, Steve had told her he’d been an artist in his pre-serum days. It had been his source of income and he’d been working towards saving up to go to art school before enlisting in the army.

“I’m so sorry,” she murmured, as he placed the items back into his bag. “I didn’t mean to break them.”

Steve shrugged and smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it. The best thing about charcoal pencils is that even if they’re broken, they can still be used.”

He took to her a 1940s burger joint (though she supposed it was just known as a burger joint here) and the waitress sat them in a booth off to the left, away from the windows (much to her relief). It was a relatively quiet restaurant, only one or two other patrons in the diner enjoying their meal. After they’d ordered, she and Steve fell into comfortable silence and Natasha got lost in her thought once more. Her eyes fell onto an abandoned newspaper that was lying on the table in front of her and her eyes took in the headline.

_Yep, I’m definitely in the past. I’m currently trapped in August 1941, New York._

Natasha took a deep breath and let it out quietly. The Avengers were going to come get her, she knew they would.

It wasn’t fast enough as far as she was concerned. 

When their food came, the first taste of her burger nearly had Natasha moaning in delight. She dug into her meal, trying to eat slow enough that she didn’t accidently choke but couldn’t help the satisfied sigh that escaped her lips. Steve, who had taken a few bites of his own burger, was watching her with fascination as if the way she ate was something he didn’t see everyday.

She blushed, and lowered her burger. “Uh, sorry,” she muttered. Damn the social constraints!

“No, no,” Steve shook his head emphatically. He smiled shyly at her, and she felt her heart thud painfully. “Its nice to see a lady so thoroughly enjoying her food.” He took another bite. “So, I’ve been wanting to ask, what’s your name?”

Oh, right. They’d never introduced themselves to each other.

“Nat-” she started to say but then stopped. Shit. She probably shouldn’t give him her real name. “Natalie. My name is Natalie.”

“I’m Steve.”

They fell into a comfortable silence. To Natasha, this was completely comforting. She and Steve never really needed a lot of words to convey their feelings to one another back in the present. She had trusted him completely from the moment she met him, and that translated to this situation from the moment she met him here in the past. Steve just seemed to have that aura no matter what time period it was, whether he was Captain America or not.

She took a moment to study him as she finished her food. Skinny Steve Rogers before the serum was just _adorable_. There was no other word to describe him. The way he acted reminded her of how Steve was at the beginning of their relationship. Awkward and a bit nervous, but earnest and dependable. This was something she was going to remember for the rest of her life.

“So where are you from?” Steve asked.

“Uh,” she paused. God, normally she was a better liar than this. And she knew the reason why she was getting caught so off guard so much where he was concerned. She hadn’t ever had to lie to Steve. Hadn’t done so in a long while, in fact. She hadn’t had to hide anything from him since they’d started dating, not ever again she’d thought. “Um…”

Steve, seeing that she was getting uncomfortable, quickly remedied the situation. “Hey, it’s okay,” he held up his hands in a surrender motion. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to. I won’t hurt you.”

She wanted to roll her eyes. That was something she already knew. She smiled at him instead. “I know,” she said, genuinely. There was no doubt whatsoever in her voice. “Thank you Steve. Thank you for helping me.” She enjoyed the way he blushed and ducked his head.

When they’d finished eating, he led her to a store that was just across the street from the diner. She was a little surprised at how comfortable he was at walking into a women’s clothing store but he was completely at ease in the brightly lit shop surrounded by well dressed mannequins and displays.

“Steve!” A woman emerged from the backroom, her long brunette hair pinned up in an elegant bun. She had a kind smile, and warm blue eyes. Her expression became one of concern when she noticed Natasha though. “What a nice surprise! I’m surprised you’re not off with Bucky somewhere.”

“Hi Betty,” Steve replied. He gestured towards Natasha. “This is my new friend Natalie. She was hoping to get some clothes. Natalie, this is Betty Barnes.”

Bucky’s mother. Natasha’s eyes widened slightly at this new found connection to Steve.

“Oh, it’s nice to meet you! Are you two on a date?! Steve never introduces us to girls… oh, this is so exciting!” Betty clasped her hands together with delight.

Steve flushed red, his embarrassment running all the way down his neck and he ran a hand through his hair. “Aw Betty, come on. It’s not like that. Natalie just ran into some trouble today and I’m helping her, that’s all.”

Betty took a closer look at her, and Natasha bit her lip. “I ran away…” she trailed off. Sometimes saying the least amount of things got her the most results. The less you said, the more people assumed. It was one of the first rules to espionage that Natasha learned in the red room. Immediately, Betty came over and began to fuss over her. Her eyes taking in what Natasha was wearing underneath Steve’s coat.

“Oh dear, let’s get you something nice to wear, something pretty, hm?” Betty led her over to one of the dressing rooms and began to choose a couple of different dresses for her.

“Um, I’m going to need some things for sleeping at night,” Natasha kept her voice low, glancing over to where Steve stood at the front. He was busy helping to straighten some of the displays, as if he had done it before and done it often. It was beginning to darken outside as dusk began to approach. She still had to find a place to stay for the night and wanted to avoid sleeping outside on a park bench somewhere. It wouldn’t have been the worst place she’d ever slept, but still. “And can you recommend a place for me to stay?”

Betty gave her a sympathetic look and nodded. “Don’t you worry, dear. I know a good place, a nice and respectable one. A place for you to start fresh.”

Together, she and Betty picked out a few things. It wasn’t much but it was enough to get her by for a couple of nights, at least. When she emerged from the dressing room and having cleaned up a bit, Natasha was now dressed in a plain forest green dress, and with a matching hat. Betty had quickly fixed her hair, pulling it back and securing the pins in the proper place. The redhead took a quick look at herself in the mirror, and for a moment was taken aback by how she looked. She looked as if she belonged to this time period, dressed how a respectable lady should. No one would’ve been able to tell just how “indecently” she had been earlier. And the shoes were a lot more comfortable too. Go figure.

“Wow,” Steve said when he saw her. “You clean up nice… I-I mean,” he flushed when Betty gave him a sharp look. “You look really nice. Really pretty. Um, beautiful.”

Natasha laughed. She couldn’t help it. _Oh Steve, you’re all kinds of adorable._ “Thank you.”

Steve reached into his pocket and seeing that he’d pulled out his wallet to presumably pay for her things, Natasha rushed forward and placed her hand on his arm, preventing him from going any further. “Oh no, you’ve done enough. Please, I have some money saved and you shouldn’t have to spend your money on me.”

She pulled out a few bills and placed them on the counter, looking up at Betty expectantly. “How much do I owe you?”

The woman glanced down at the money and her eyes widened. “You’ve given me too much, darling.”

Seriously? She’d gotten enough clothes for a few days, a purse, plus shoes and a nice dress. Natasha glanced down. She’d placed a hundred dollars on the counter. How was that too much? _Oh, right. Economic times were different in the 1940s. Inflation hasn’t happened yet. Ugh._ She was beginning to get a headache. “Then keep the change. Please. You’ve been so kind in helping me.” And then she turned to Steve and tried to hand him a $20 bill. “Is this enough to pay for my dinner and your art supplies that I broke?”

“Oh no, I can’t accept your money ma’am,” Steve backed away, his hands held up in front of him. “I was glad to help.”

“But-”

“No,” Steve shook his head. “Save your money. You’ll need it to start a new life.” He gave her a lop-sided grin.

It wasn’t like she needed the money, but Natasha nodded and tucked the bill back into her new purse. Fine. She’ll have to find some other way to pay Steve back for all his help. She smiled at him gratefully. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Not many people would have stopped to help me like you did.”

Natasha was enjoying the way Steve blushed. It reminded her of how easily she used to be able to make _her Steve_ blush at the beginning of their relationship. “Don’t mention it,” he ran a hand through his floppy blonde hair.

Once Betty closed up her shop for the night, the three of them made their way down a few blocks to where a fancy looking hotel was located. Steve carried her bags for her the entire way, to which Natasha had protested vehemently but no amount of her displeasure would get him to change his mind. No lady should have to carry their bags, he insisted. It just wasn’t proper. Natasha mentally rolled her eyes at this response but let it go, deciding it was just easier to go along with it. The social restraints on what a woman should and shouldn’t do were starting to get on her nerves though. 

About a block away, Steve bade her goodnight as it was improper for Natasha to be seen with a man at the late hour, especially if she was about to get a room for a few nights. Natasha impulsively reached out to hug Steve, thanking him once again for helping her that day. Steve wasn’t that much taller than her, maybe a couple of inches in the new heels she was wearing and he looked shocked when she pulled away, his face once again going completely red.

_God, he was so cute._

The Griffith Hotel was a boarding house for single women, run by a strict, no-nonsense woman by the name of Miriam Fry. It was lucky that Betty Barnes was friends with this woman because Natasha had a feeling she wouldn’t have otherwise gotten an apartment as easily as she did. Miriam looked at her intently, and flat out told her that she would under no circumstances tolerate her bringing back men to her hotel. Apparently with her “siren-like looks” she was sure to attract all kinds of trouble involving the opposite sex.

Natasha mentally rolled her eyes and smiled a tight-lipped smile. _If you only knew, lady._

She paid the deposit that Miriam needed and after saying goodnight to Betty, Natasha found herself alone for the rest of the night alone in what would be her new apartment. Thinking back to the day’s events, she wondered if her meeting Steve here in the past would change the timeline at all. It was hard to say, but she was pretty sure she hadn’t mentioned anything that would change it – she was a spy after all. She could do this and keep her cool until The Avengers came and rescued her.

She couldn’t help but smile to herself. When she woke up that morning, she hadn’t expected her day to turn out like this, but it didn’t end too badly, she supposed. Sure, this wasn’t _her Steve_ , but there was no way she couldn’t resist getting to know 1941 Steve. As long as she was careful, it couldn’t hurt, right?

Natasha could only hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--
> 
> I seem to have an unhealthy obsession with skinny Steve... *shrugs* oh well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost 1am as I'm posting this, so there may be tons of grammar mistakes. Sorry, just wanted to get the chapter out. Will fix it later! Enjoy.

The next morning dawned cool and misty when Natasha woke up. For a moment, she laid there disoriented from the unfamiliar surroundings before it all came rushing back to her. With a groan, she rolled over and buried herself further into her blankets, reveling in the warmth. _Damn_ , so she was still stuck in the past. Though she had been very doubtful, there had been a small part of her that had hoped she would’ve somehow been magically transported back to the present while she’d been sleeping.

_Guess not._

Through the small cracks of the curtains that hung on the wall, she could see angry, gray storm clouds up in the sky outside her window. It wasn’t raining yet, but Natasha found that she appreciated the gloomy weather as it suited her current mood. Not really willing to leave her warm bed, but knowing she’d have to; Natasha slowly pulled back her covers and dragged herself out of bed. Being stuck in the 1940s was not as glamourous as one would assume. Everything was much slower. It took awhile for her to figure out how to use the gas stove and the kettle. She missed the internet and her cellphone.

She took her time getting ready, pinning her hair exactly the way she’d seen Betty Barnes style it the night before. Satisfied that she looked like she belonged in the 1940s time period, Natasha headed downstairs to join the other ladies for a quick breakfast before leaving to explore New York in the year 1941.

New York’s atmosphere felt very much the same. There was something about the way people went about their daily lives that Natasha found very comforting and at the same time, quite thrilling. People weren’t as weighed down in this time, even with the second world war that was going on. It was nice to see that people were actually laughing and interacting with one another instead of having their nose down looking at their cellphones as they walked or having headphones in their ears to avoid conversation. Life here seemed a lot simpler.

To her left, she noticed a little shop on the corner and made her way over to it. Glancing through the shop window, she found that it was an art supply store and a smile came to her face. Well, this was perfect. She went in and took a look around, her attention immediately going straight to where the charcoal pencils were displayed. She still felt badly about causing 1941 Steve to break his own when they ran into each other the day before. Maybe if she saw him again, she could give these to him.

An advertisement on the wall caught her attention as she was leaving the store and she paused to take a closer look.   ** _World of Tomorrow Exposition! Featuring Howard Stark_** , the flier read. Her eyes widened slightly. Tony’s father. She had forgotten that Howard Stark had been essential in helping Steve to become Captain America. She continued to read the literature on the wall and realized that it was being held at a swing dance club. Excitement flew through her. If she was going to be stuck in the past, she might as well try to enjoy it while it lasted right?

The rest of the day passed by quickly and it was nearing five in the evening when Natasha made it back to the Griffith Hotel. She took a bath, and took her time primping and getting ready to attend Howard Stark’s expo. Deciding to put a modern twist the 1940s hairstyle, Natasha pulled her natural red curls back and pinned her hair so that it was secure in a bun and added a black feathered hair accessory. Satisfied with the way she looked, she set off towards the swing dance club that the event was being held at.

It was almost like a scene that was portrayed in the movies. Natasha stood off to the side and watched with awe at the live music that was playing on stage, and all the people that were dancing on the floor. She smiled, loving how festive and buoyant the atmosphere was. It was easy to forget that World War II was currently happening in the time period she was in, when all this was happening right in front of her. It was amazing and endlessly entertaining to watch.

Out of the corner of her eye, a movement caught her attention. Or rather specifically, the two people that had just entered the room caught her attention. Steve and Bucky had just arrived, Steve looking reluctant to be there… as if Barnes had done everything in his power to drag him to the show. They sat down at a table, and Natasha moved further into the room, taking a seat at the bar, close enough to hear their conversation but far enough away that she didn’t draw their attention to her.  

“…come on, Buck,” Steve was saying, as she settled down at the bar and ordered a drink. She turned slightly so that Steve and Bucky were in her line of vision, their backs facing her. “I don’t know why you promised these girls a double date.  You know whoever ends up with me will be disappointed.”

“Hey,” Bucky chided. “I told Dolores all good things about you and she said she would pass the info on. I’m sure her friend will not be disappointed.”

“This never ends well,” Steve sighed.

Natasha watched with interest as two girls came up to the boys’ table, one a pretty brunette (Dolores, she assumed) that greeted Barnes happily as he stood up to kiss her on the cheek, and the other, a blonde whose face fell in dismay when she saw Steve for the very first time. The hair on the back of Natasha’s neck bristled and her eyes narrowed with annoyance as she watched the blonde girl sit down, edging her seat away from Steve as if she was afraid of catching something. It was completely rude and ridiculous, and her blood boiled even more when Steve looked away with embarrassment.

\---

Back in the present and before they had started dating, back when she and Steve had just been getting to know each other, Steve had mentioned that before he had gotten the serum, no girl other than Peggy had ever been interested in him. At the time, Natasha had laughed because she’d seen pictures of Steve pre-serum and had found him to be adorable, and she’d told him so. “ _There’s no way you wouldn’t have gotten a woman, Rogers,”_ she’d insisted. “ _You’re every woman’s dream guy… you’re cute, loyal, you’re just… good. Anyone with eyes would’ve been able to see that. I would’ve killed to have had someone like you be interested in me.”_

She remembered it so clearly.

Steve had blushed and shook his head shyly. He had given her that lopsided grin of his, the one that made her heart flutter every time and shrugged off her comments. “ _Trust me, Nat. I wasn’t very strong, and was small and skinny. Back then, no one wanted to dance with me, let alone go on a date with me.”_

_“Well, did you ask them to dance, Rogers? They can’t say yes if you never asked.”_

_“A few times,”_ he admitted.  “ _Bucky always tried hard to find me a dance partner, you know. But no one ever said yes. No one wants to dance with a guy they might step on.”_

 _“Well,”_ she huffed _. “Then those girls missed out. Your heart is what matters, and if the women back then couldn’t see that then you really didn’t lose anything.”_

He tried to brush off her comment in a nonchalant way but she could see that it had touched him deeply. _“So you would’ve danced with little skinny ole’ me?”_ he grinned at her, teasing in his tone of voice.

But Natasha had only looked at him with a serious expression, and he instantly straightened, knowing that she’d meant every word that she was about to say. _“Yeah Steve, I would’ve,”_ she smiled at him softly. _“I would’ve loved to have the chance to dance with you.”_

There was a comfortable silence as Steve mulled over what she said to him. _“Well,”_ he gave her a lopsided grin. _“I’ve still never gone dancing. Want to be my first dance partner ever? I promise to try to avoid stepping on your toes.”_

Natasha laughed and nodded. _“It’s a date.”_

\---

 

The memory played through Natasha’s mind as she watched the scene in front of her, and she got more and more irritated with the blonde (Alice) that was supposed to be Steve’s date. She watched as Steve tried to be a complete gentleman to Alice despite how she treated him. Getting her a new drink when she’d finished her first one, trying hard to make conversation and to keep it going while she only gave one worded answers… it was frustrating, and Natasha wanted nothing more than to teach that blonde a lesson in manners. Skinny Steve Rogers was a gift to the world and deserved to be treated as such!

All the while Natasha had been watching them, Bucky and Dolores had gone up to the dance floor and spun around the room a few times before returning. Barnes had a smile on his face as they joined Steve and Alice again, and he raised his hand to the waiter to order another round of drinks for the table. He leaned back into his chair. “Hey Alice, why don’t you and Steve go dance, and Dolores and I can watch the table now?”

Steve’s head snapped up, and he shot Bucky a panicked expression but before he could say or do anything awkward, Alice saved him the trouble by scoffing and rolling her eyes. “Oh,” she pouted, pursing her lips. “Golly, I would but... I’m afraid of accidentally stepping on him.”

Steve’s face fell and he was clearly embarrassed by what Alice had said. He said nothing in response, and avoided looking at Alice... avoided looking at anyone sitting at that table. It was so disconcerting to see Steve like this, so tiny and lacking confidence, so uncommunicative and silent… so completely the _opposite_ of what Natasha was used to. And Steve just… he just _accepted_ that… just accepted that this girl was treating him like crap, as if it was something he was used to.

No, she was _not_ going to just sit here and watch this unfold right in front of her.

Steve was too precious for the world and needed to be protected at all costs _and_ –

Rage filled Natasha, the anger coursing through her veins and filling her entire being. And before she even realized what she was doing, she abruptly stood up, noisily pushing her stool back and made her way over to the foursome that was in her line of sight.

“Hey now,” Bucky’s good-natured expression became one of anger as he started to respond to Alice. But before he could do anything else, Natasha had already stepped up to them.

“Excuse me.” Four pairs of eyes turned towards her, but Natasha only had eyes for Steve. It was clear to her that he recognized her immediately, and she felt a smile appear on her face. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“Hey there, doll,” Bucky’s tone of voice was slightly flirtatious, but as Natasha glanced at him, she could tell that he was just curious as to why she was suddenly there at their table. “What brings you by?”

“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.” Her smile became even wider. “I would like to dance with you,” she said, staring straight at Steve. He blinked at her, shocked frozen with a deer-in-headlights expression and his jaw slightly hanging. She had surprised him, she could tell. And he wasn’t the only one that was surprised either. Both Dolores and Alice were staring at her, as if they couldn’t believe what was happening in front of them. Her eyes narrowed at the blonde girl sitting beside Steve, and she smiled sweetly but it was insincere. “You don’t know what you’re missing, honey,” she said to Alice.

Natasha moved around to Steve’s side, shoving Alice out of the way on purpose. The other girl protested at being nudged aside so abruptly, but she didn’t care. She winked at Steve and held her hand out. “How ‘bout it, handsome?”

Steve’s eyes went wide. “Uh… what?”

Bucky grinned, reaching over to clap Steve on the back. “Go on, Stevie! A beautiful dame asks you to dance, you definitely don’t say no!”

Before he could object, or refuse, Natasha grabbed him by the hand and pulled him up to his feet. At his full height, he was barely taller than she was… another striking difference from present Steve. He gave Bucky a desperate look, as she turned and physically dragged him to the dance floor, leading him to an open space near the corner and out of everyone else’s way. Standing face to face with him, she looked at him and gave him a reassuring smile.

Steve looked positively panicked. “Nat-Natalie,” he stuttered. “I don’t know how to dance!”

“Shhh, relax,” her voice was steady and calm, but her heart was racing rapidly. The fast-paced music had changed to a slower tune, and the female singer on stage began to croon softly. She took his other hand to place it on her waist, appreciating that he followed her without question. She smiled at his nervous expression (so familiar, and yet, not at the same time) and moved closer into his personal space. “Dancing is fun… don’t worry so much, okay? Just follow my lead.”

He swallowed, looking apprehensive, and nodded. Slowly, but surely, he began to relax as they gently swayed in time to the music. Natasha leaned in closer and grinned at him. “See? Easy, peasy.”

“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” Steve murmured.

“Do what?”

“To ask me to dance. To prove a point to Alice.”

She looked at him and he blushed under her gaze, but still shrugged halfheartedly. “It’s alright,” he said. “I get it. Girls aren’t exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on.”

“You are being ridiculous,” she told him. “Yes, I’m proving a point to that idiot of a girl back there. But you _listen_ to this, Steve Rogers. You are worth twenty men combined. I’m dancing with you, because _I want to_. And its not out of pity, understand?”

The way he stared at her gave her butterflies. It was exactly the kind of intense look that _her Steve_ gave her, the one that cuts through to her very soul… the one where he was trying to figure out whether or not she was lying. And she could tell when that he believed her, because he suddenly looked incredibly grateful. “Thank you,” he said. “No one has ever done this for me.”

“What? Teach that girl a lesson? I meant what I said you know. She doesn’t know what she’s missing.”

He chuckled, looking bashful. “Well, Miss Natalie. This is my very first dance, so thank you.”

“I’m honored it was with me,” Natasha grinned. At this point, she didn’t really care all that much that she might be changing the future a bit. How bad could it really be? She had been Steve’s first dance partner in the present, she could be his first dance partner in the past couldn’t she? She showed Steve how to dance to a few of the more upbeat songs and did one more slow one, before going back to their table.

Bucky was sitting there alone, both Dolores and Alice no where in sight, and he raised his glass at them as they sat down. “Don’t you two make a nice sight,” he teased. He held out his hand to Natasha. “Bucky Barnes.”

She shook it. “Natalie Rushman.”

They made small talk and Natasha found that she liked Steve’s friend from the 1940s. Barnes was charming and he cared for Steve a great deal, and she understood a little more how much present Steve missed his friend. It was nice getting to know the both of them like this, so nice getting to know Steve before the serum. She felt closer to Steve more than she ever had before.

“So you’re staying at the Griffith Hotel, huh?” Bucky smirked. “How is dear Miriam?”

She rolled her eyes at the mention of the woman who ran the hotel. “She hates me. Thinks I’m trouble.”

Bucky laughed. “Sounds like her.”

“It’s alright,” Natasha shrugged. “I won’t be staying long. I’ll be going home soon.”

Steve gave a start. “You’re leaving?”

She bit her lip. “Well… yes,” she nodded. “Circumstances are that I can’t stay.” She stared at him. “I miss my family.”

Steve looked disappointed. “Oh.”

There was an awkward pause, before Bucky started the conversation again. She felt a pang in her heart as she looked at Steve sitting there. He was trying to hide it, but she knew that he was slightly saddened at the news that she was leaving. Perhaps, she had made the mistake of becoming to invested, too involved… and somehow it would lead to hurting him. Natasha didn’t want that.

The last thing she ever wanted to do was to hurt Steve in some way.

Several hours later, she and Steve were walking along the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a warm night, quiet and peaceful, and the streets were void of people. The walk across the bridge was filled with a heavy silence. It had been an unspoken agreement that they would spend some time together after the party was over. She loved getting to know Steve in the 1940s, but she hated that she might somehow hurt him.

“I wish you didn’t have to go.”  

His voice was quiet, but it might as well have sounded like he was shouting. Natasha could hear the sadness in his voice and she wondered how he became attached to her so quickly. She had only been stuck in the past for two days! But deep down, she knew the reason. She and Steve were always meant to be together. It had taken a long time for her to accept that fact in the present, it was something that Steve liked to insist upon. That he ended up in the ice for seventy years, because he was meant to find her. It wouldn’t matter what the circumstances were… she and Steve were always going to end up together, in some way. In _every_ way.

She could feel that same pull to him right now. Her feelings never changed. It didn’t matter that he was almost the same height as her, or that she probably had a good thirty pounds on him. She didn’t care that he was bony, and skinny. It didn’t matter how strong he was with the serum running through his veins, how tall or how big. It was his heart that won her over. And his heart was always the same. She loved him no matter what he looked like.  

“I don’t belong here, Steve,” she told him, as he turned to look at her. She moved closer placing a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll see each other again,” she promised.  

Steve gave her a small smile. “We still have tonight, right?”

“Definitely.” They reached the end of the bridge and Natasha spotted a small booth off to the side. She tugged on Steve’s hand and pointed. “What’s that over there?”

He looked over. “That’s a photo booth.”

She gave a delighted laugh. “Perfect! Come on.” She dragged him over, and shoved him into the seat before climbing in and seating herself on his lap. “Is this okay?”

“Uh,” he blushed furiously. “Yes.”

She giggled and placed a few coins into the coin slot. “Smile!”

The photos that came out made Natasha laugh when she saw them. In all four photos, Steve pretty much had the same look, while she was busy making funny faces. The last one made her smile though, because Steve’s surprised expression was perfectly captured when she had turned and kissed him on the cheek. “I love these pictures.”

She followed him home, and later that night, they made love slowly and tenderly. She could tell that Steve was nervous as she pulled his shirt off, the way he avoided her gaze as he stood bare before her. He wanted her but was unsure of himself, and Natasha did her best to calm him. She peppered kisses all over his body, touched him where no one ever had before, and showed him how to make her body sing. And when they fell apart in each other’s arms, Natasha cuddled in close and they fell asleep holding one another.

\---

Natasha jolted awake, her senses on high alert and she sat up, immediately scanning the room in case there was any danger near by. Next to her, Steve was still asleep, his breathing deep and even. The room is silent and nothing out of the ordinary was happening but still, she waited. She sat up further, reaching for Steve’s discarded shirt and donned it. Suddenly the room glowed orange, and Natasha shielded her eyes from the bright glare.

She blinked.

There, standing at the edge of the bed, stood Thor. There was a bright, glowing orange light from from his left hand and she recognized the time stone illuminating from his palm. She blinked again. Thor was here. Thor was _actually_ here.  Thor was here to take her home!

Thor grinned at her happily. “Lady Natasha!” Then he noticed Steve still sleeping next to her. “Ah,” he nodded in understanding. “Had some fun with the captain, did you?”

Natasha blushed furiously.

“Oh, do not be ashamed dear lady. It is only natural for two souls in love to be mated this way,” Thor assured her. “But perhaps we should return to the present, yes? I imagine our dear Captain is most anxious to see you.”

Thor waited patiently while she got dressed. At the last moment, she decided that she couldn’t just leave Steve without _some_ type of goodbye. She headed over towards his desk and wrote a short note. Placing the note on his pillow, she leaned over and kissed his forehead. Steve stirred but didn’t wake and she smiled at him. Giving him one last look, she walked over to where Thor stood, already itching to see _her Steve_ again.

“Ready?” he asked.

Natasha nodded. “Ready.”

The room glowed orange, and they disappeared.

_Steve,_

_I’ll never forget this night. We’ll see each other again, I promise you._

_-N_

 

\-----

 

The second they get back, Natasha felt strong arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her into a familiar embrace. She barely had time to react before Steve was spinning her around and his lips descended on hers, kissing her deeply. They pulled apart and Natasha grinned, seeing Steve looking down at her with so much love. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and all hard muscle… she was back. It had been a fun, and interesting ride but she was glad to be back.

“I’ve missed you,” Steve murmured.

“I missed you to, soldier,” she kissed him. She sighed happily as she buried her face into Steve’s chest and breathed in his scent.

_My Steve._

She was back where she belonged.


	4. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure what I set out to do when I started this fic, or if it even had a plot point as I was working on it but... at least I finished one of my WIPs? My anxiety can rest a little easier now. Also, I tried writing smut and it probably sucks but practice makes perfect? *shrugs* Thanks to everyone who read this story, left kudos, left comments... it means a lot :)

Natasha sighed happily as she buried herself further into Steve’s embrace, reveling in the warmth he provided. Everything felt right again, and she was back where she belonged. They heard a soft click, and Natasha peeked around Steve’s shoulder… realizing that they were in Steve’s bedroom at the Avengers Tower and that Thor must’ve left to give them some privacy.

“Had quite the adventure, didn’t you?” Steve murmured, burying his face into her hair.

She chuckled, pulling back slightly to look up at him. “You have no idea.”

He gazed at her evenly. “Oh, I think I do.”

As it turned out, new memories had popped up in Steve’s mind… memories of Natalie, of _her_ and their short time spent together. As far as Steve could tell, she hadn’t altered the past by that much and everything that was supposed to have come to pass, did. He still tried to enlist in the army multiple times, still fell for Peggy, still became Captain America… the only difference had been his level of confidence that he found. Evidently, the morning after he spent the night with Natalie, Steve had somehow found an inner peace that he hadn’t had before. Even though he had woken up alone, the knowledge that there had been someone out there that cared about _him_ and not some idea of him… cared for his heart… it had been enough, and that knowledge carried him through.

“Are you mad that I slept with your past self?” Natasha asked, studying his expression. She had been worried that her actions wouldn’t have gone over well with Steve, but as it turned out, she’d worried for nothing.

Steve snorted, but smiled at her. The way he was looking at her now seemed different from before. She had always known that Steve loved her of course, but it was somehow… _more_ now. If that was even possible. In any case, it was different. “Of course not, Nat,” Steve shook his head and pulled her closer to him, kissing her forehead. “You do realize, it wasn’t past me that you slept with… but that you slept with _me_ , right? I’m still the same person Nat.”

“Yeah, but… I’ve taken your virginity twice now? In different ways? Time travel is confusing,” she shrugged. “I can’t tell what’s different and what’s the same.”

Steve chuckled. “Does it matter? We’re together.” He gently tugged her at her arm, and led her to over to his stereo that sat on his nightstand by his bed. Letting her go for the moment, he fiddled with a few buttons before soft music began to play and she recognized the beginning of the song they’d danced to in the past.

 _‘At last, my love has come along…’_ Etta James crooned through the speakers.

Steve held out his hand to her. “Dance with me,” he commanded softly, his eyes roaming over her. He barely gave her a chance to respond before he tugged at her again, and she fell willingly into his embrace.

She rested her head against his chest, and let herself get lost in the moment as they swayed in time to the music. “You’re much more confident this time around,” she commented. She smiled teasingly as he spun her around and dipped her. “You’ve learned a few new moves… I don’t recall teaching you this.”

He chuckled and pulled her back against him. “I may have learned a few new moves,” he whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. “But the song remains the same, and so do the feelings.”

Their lips met, slow and tantalizing. Steve had always kissed her with so much feeling, but again, this time was just so much _more._ The way he held her tight against him, the way his mouth possessed her… gentle but not at the same time. It was hard for her to describe, but she felt the difference.  It was as if he was possessive, and yet, he treated her as if she was so precious to him. He backed her up until her legs hit the edge of his bed and then suddenly she was lying on her back and he was all over her, all around her as he bracketed her with his body. He kissed her deeply and then his lips began moving down her neck, pausing to stop and nip lightly at her pulse point. He smiled, as his fingers trailed lightly down the front of her ( _his_ ) shirt. She was still wearing his shirt that she had stolen right before Thor had come to get her, and he shook his head slightly. “You can fit into my clothes,” he was amused.

“You mean, I can fit into your _old_ clothes,” she corrected.

He laughed, and then resumed kissing her. Slowly, he pulled the shirt over her head and off her, kissing every inch of skin he could find. Her hardened nipples were puckered against the thin material of the bra she was wearing and she could clearly see the desire in his eyes as he took her in. He reached up and slid the fabric down and off, revealing her full breasts. “Beautiful,” he murmured, his voice husky. His fingers danced across her chest, and she shivered, goosebumps prickling her skin following in their wake.

His lips followed his hands, moving over the swell of her breasts, and sealing his mouth over one mound. Steve may have come into their relationship a virgin, but over time he became an expert at being able to make her body sing. She let out a soft whimper as he swirled his tongue over her nipple and suckled her, letting his teeth scrape against the hardened peek over and over. Slowly, he moved over to her other breast and did the same, lavishing it with just as much attention as the first.

Desire shot through her as he slid his hands over her hips, warm and firm and sending the tingles that were dancing across her skin down her body further. He pulled at her skirt, sliding it down over her legs until she was clad in nothing but her panties. Simple, white cotton panties that showed the fashion style of the time period she’d been in. She made a gorgeous picture… her red hair fanned out against the white of his sheets, lips parted, and her reacting to his touch. It made his blood thrum and he never once takes his eyes off her, wanting to commit this image to his memory.

His touch is reverent at first, but then gets more insistent when he feels the dampening of her underwear. Natasha lets out a breathy moan when his thumb presses against her clit and rubbing small circles against the fabric. Unable to resist, he pulled her panties down and off, before pressing his fingers into her slowly and curling, watching her entire body shudder as he did so. And then his head is lowering, mouth on her and he licks up a stripe to her center. Her hips snap up, legs shaking as he works his tongue over her in broad strokes. Over and over, Natasha feels herself getting to the very edge but never going over as Steve takes his time. Tasting her. Devouring her. His lips close around her clit, sucking hard and she arches her back and gasps. He presses his face against her harder, and she lets out a cry as she feels her orgasm slam into her suddenly, harder than it ever had in her life.

He watches her come down from her high and moves up to kiss her once more. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear. “I love you, Nat. So much.”

She opened her eyes, and smiled at him tenderly. Once upon a time, she’d been so afraid of letting him into her heart, but had long since been freed of that fear. Reaching out, she helps him remove his clothes, and then he’s back over her and she wraps her arms around his neck, bringing him even closer. They’re skin to skin now and with nothing in between them. “You’re my everything,” she breathes.

He presses into her slowly, filling her inch by inch until he’s fully buried deep within her and to the hilt. His eyes locked onto hers and their gazes held, as Steve slowly pulls back and immediately thrusting into her again, hitting bottom lightly. He sets a rhythm, and it feels _so amazing_ as he makes love to her leisurely, tenderly… and it’s everything he could’ve ever dreamed.

Everything is dissolving into white hot pleasure as he continues to pull in and out, and Natasha is trembling. He can tell she’s not far off because her legs are tightening around his waist as he moves, and she’s clenching around him, her walls fluttering. He snaps his hips harder into her in response, and it sends her over the edge when he reaches down between them to slide his thumb over her bundle of nerves and pinching lightly.  

She falls apart with a cry as he keeps thrusting – his movements a little harder and more insistent, a little more desperate, a little faster… and then he comes, his orgasm ripping through his body and then he slumps over her, his weight trapping her underneath him.

Natasha moans when he shifts ever so slightly inside of her as he pulls himself free, but continues to rest his head on her chest, his ear pressed to her as he listens to her heartbeat still thumping frantically from their activities. They’re both coming down from their high, and she wraps her arms around his broad shoulders, her hand caressing his arm lightly.

Her head is pillowed on his chest afterwards, they’re snuggled together and they bask in the glow of being with one another and sharing lazy kisses all the while. “You know,” Steve said after awhile. “I tried to find you after that night.”

She looked up at him. “You did?”

“Well yeah,” he shrugged. “That was one of the most incredible nights of my life.”

She laughed. “Because you got to have sex?”

“Yes,” he paused. “But also because I got to be with _you_. I felt lucky,” Steve grinned. “Someone wanted to be with the little guy.”

Natasha hummed. “I told you before, those girls missed out. Their loss, my gain. Plus, you were really cute.”

“You know, it’s such a shame that I lost those pictures that we took,” he said, wistfully. “All my belongings were packed up after I went into the ice. It would’ve been nice to frame them, don’t you think?”

Natasha laughed and sat up. “You didn’t lose them,” she got up and reached for her purse… the very same one that she had purchased from Bucky’s mother. She pulled out the photo booth photos that they had taken in the past and handed them over to Steve. His eyes brightened and a wide grin appeared on his face as he looked them over, taking in his younger, pre-serum self.

“Look at you sitting with this dork,” he commented.

“Hey, that’s _my dork_ you’re talking about,” she grabbed the photos out of his hand, tossing them onto the night table next to their bed. She leapt at him and he caught her as they landed backwards into the sheets. There’s laughter and he’s about to say something but she cuts him off with a kiss.

(And the lovemaking begins all over again.)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are definitely appreciated! Please leave some :)


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